Chepstow Pair

Today there are four meetings taking place - two on the flat at Nottingham and Kempton as well as two jumps fixtures at Warwick and Chepstow.  We send a couple of runners accross the Severn Bridge to compete at Chepstow where the ground is officially heavy.  Bladoun, who had some useful form when reaching the frame in all three of his bumper starts makes his hurdling debut this afternoon, while Royal Mile (pictured above) bids to follow-up his impressive debut success on this course for the stable in the three mile handicap chase - Tom Scudamore rides them both.

You couldn't fail to be impressed by Cue Card at Exeter yesterday afternoon as he strolled away with the £35,000 Haldon Gold Cup under Joe Tizzard.  He won with plenty in hand and I think that he can improve further when stepped up in trip.  No disrespect to yesterday's rivals, but it will be fascinating to see how he fares against the cream of the crop as the season progresses.  The Tizzard's went on to complete a double on the card when Theatre Guide turned over odds-on favourite Hinterland - they went a frantic pace which probably led to the favourite's demise, but even so they still finished over five seconds slower than Cue Card.

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It is amazing to think that former England all-round cricket star Freddie Flintoff has been granted his heavyweight boxing licence from the British Boxin Board of Control.  He has his first fight at the end of this month...maybe he should be fighting Barney Rubble?!  Let's hope that Freddie doesn't get hurt or the Board will be made to look like idiots.

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I was amazed to read the comments of Polish speedway star Krzysztof Kasprzak who will snub big money deals in Sweden so that he can continue his career with the Poole Pirates.   He says "money isn't the most important thing" - you had better not let him mix with some of the football stars that live nearby on the Sandbanks development!

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Scotland are local for a new football manager for their national side and Gordon Strachan has been installed as favourite for the position by bookmakers.  I feel sorry for Craig Levein who was sacked - if the players are not good enough it doesn't matter what the manager does, it isn't going to make a lot of difference.  Would Sir Alex Ferguson be capable of getting the Scots to win a World Cup?...of course not.  There aren't many Scottish players in the Premiership and there is a good reason for that - until there is a better pool of talent to choose from I believe they will continue to struggle on an international level.